So…..believe it or not the 2014 Winter Olympics have officially begun in Sochi, Russia! With the Super Bowl in New York/New Jersey this past weekend it was easy to lose track of the Olympics, but now it’s time to turn our attention to this worldwide athletic competition and root on thousands of competitors in 15 different sports. While some of the events may not be familiar to the average viewer they all bring something different to the table.

These are the events we are most looking forward to:

Curling(begins on the 10th with medals being awarded the 20th and 21st)

Is this just a glorified winter version of shuffleboard? Sure, but who cares?! Men’s and Women’s teams from 10+ countries will be squaring off against each other to see who can glide a granite stone down an ice runway the most accurately. Sounds like pure entertainment.

If you are looking to have a few drinks and get overly excited about a sport you have limited knowledge of, this is the one for you! Meet your friends at a sports bar, toss around some curling lingo you picked up from the broadcast, and cheer loudly when your team scores (even if you aren’t sure what just happened).

Figure Skating(begins on the 6th with medals awarded on the 9th, 12th, 14th, 17th, and 20th)

It’s the gymnastics of the Winter Olympics. Heavily muscled and coordinated men and women display some of the most graceful movements you will ever see, all while wearing razor blades strapped to their feet. As this sport involves judging feel free to score from home and argue about who landed the cleanest Triple Lutz or maintained the tightest I-Spin. There are multiple categories for individuals and mixed pairs so it’s a sport you can grasp more and more as the competition progresses.

Luge(begins on the 8th with medals awarded on the 9th, 11th, 12th, and 13th)

Skeleton(begins on the 13th with medals awarded on the 14th and 15th)

Sure the Bobsled gives us more “Cool Runnings” references, but cannot match the Luge and Skeleton for pure adrenaline, speed, and terror. Without an enclosed sled competitors race at speeds of 85-90mph down frozen tracks with hairpin turns. Luge is performed feet-first, which seems harrowing enough, but Skeleton is head-first! These athletes truly have no fear.

Biathlon(begins on the 8th with medals awarded almost every day until the close of the Olympics)

With 11 medals being awarded over a variety of distances and racing styles this event will have plenty of variation to keep you interested. But let’s be honest…its skiing and shooting, enough said.

There are plenty of other exciting events as well. Men’s Ice Hockey has a very competitive field this year; Speed Skating is always packed with fast-paced excitement; and Shaun White always puts on a great show in the snowboarding events. Enjoy the Games!